Big 12 Tournament: No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Kansas State

Big 12 Tournament: No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Kansas State

The second round of the Big 12 tournament begins today in Kansas City. And that includes the No. 7 seed Texas Longhorns taking on No. 10 seed Kansas State at 6 p.m. central (Big 12/ESPN+). 

For Texas (20-11, 9-9), a win or loss won't likely change anything from an NCAA Tournament seeding standpoint. If the bracketology projections are correct, Texas is locked into an 8/9 seed win or lose today. But a win over Kansas State today would send Texas into Thursday against No. 2 seed Iowa State with an opportunity to secure a 7 seed with a win. That makes the Big 12 Tournament meaningful for the Longhorns. 

Kansas State (18-13, 8-10) enters the Big 12 Tournament playing for their NCAA Tournament lives. Headed into the game, the Wildcats will not make the Field of 68. Not only does KSU need to beat Texas today, but also needs to beat No. 2 seed Iowa State Thursday. 

OnTexasFootball takes a look at the rankings and scenarios headed into the Big 12 Tournament.

2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship

Tuesday, March 12
Game 1: No. 12 UCF 77,  No. 13 Oklahoma State 64 (Season over for the Cowboys)
Game 2: No. 11 Cincinnati 90, No. 14 West Virginia 85 (Season over for the Mountaineers)

Wednesday, March 13
Game 3: No. 5 BYU vs. No. 12 UCF (ESPN2), 11:30 a.m.  CT/10:30 a.m. MT
Game 4: No. 8 TCU vs. No. 9 Oklahoma (Big 12 Now on ESPN+), 2 p.m. CT
Game 5: No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Kansas State (Big 12 Now on ESPN+), 6 p.m. CT
Game 6: No. 6 Kansas vs. No. 11 Cincinnati (ESPN2), 8:30 p.m. CT

Thursday, March 14
Game 7: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. Winner Game 3 (ESPN2), 11:30 a.m. CT
Game 8: No. 1 Houston vs. Winner Game 4 (ESPN), 2 p.m.  CT
Game 9: No. 2 Iowa State vs. Winner Game 5 (ESPN2), 6 p.m. CT
Game 10: No. 3 Baylor vs. Winner Game 6 (ESPN or ESPN2), 8:30 p.m. CT

Friday, March 15
Game 11: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 (ESPN or ESPN2), 6 p.m. CT
Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10 (ESPN or ESPN2), 8:30 p.m. CT

Saturday, March 16
Game 13: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12 (ESPN), 5 p.m. CT

Big 12 and the NCAA Tournament 

The Big 12 is a near lock to be a nine bid league. The most of any conference this year. The record for bids by one conference is the Big East in 2011 with 11. 

1 seed - Houston
3 seed - Iowa State
3 seed - Baylor
4/5 seed - Kansas 
5 seed - BYU
6/7 - Texas Tech
7/8 seed - Texas
10/9 seed - TCU 
10/9 seed - Oklahoma

Texas NCAA Tournament seeding scenarios

The Longhorns are going to be a No. 7 or No. 8 seed barring a run to the Big 12 Tournament Championship Game. The majority of bracketology projections continue to have Texas as a No. 8 seed, currently. 

Joe Lunardi has Texas a No. 8 seed. One projection (Jerry Palm), has Texas a No. 9 seed. 

The metrics for Texas have the Longhorns as a possibility to be a No. 7 seed

NCAA Men’s Basketball NET Rankings (March 1)
Texas is No. 25 in NCAA NET headed into the Big 12 Tournament. The Horns moved up 15 spots in the last two weeks from No. 40 prior to the win in Lubbock.

The Longhorns are 5-9 in Quad 1 games, 3-1 vs. Quad 2, 5-1 vs. Quad 3 and 7-0 vs. Quad 4. 

Kansas State is No. 70 in NCAA NET, and would be a fourth Quad 2 win for the Horns.

Should the Horns advance to Thursday, Iowa State would be a Quad 1 win opportunity on a neutral court. Iowa State is No. 9 in NCAA NET. 

T-Rank 
Texas is No. 19 in Bart Torvik’s rankings currently, up from No. 23 prior to the win over Oklahoma. 

2024 Ken Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings
Texas checks in at No. 23 after being No. 25 prior to the victory over Oklahoma.